Escravos-Lagos pipeline set to move 2.2 billion scf of gas, says NNPC MD

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has said it has completed the looping of the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System with a capacity to add 2.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas into the market.

The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, disclosed this on Thursday at the virtual international conference of the Nigerian Gas Association.

Kyari, who was represented by Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Yusuf Usman, said the oil and gas industry had a mandate to create a domestic market that would consume 4.5 billion scf of gas.

He said all the assets that would deliver the 4.5 billion scf of gas had been identified, including the Assa North project in Imo State.

“We have completed the ELPS 2 looping; today, we have a capacity to move in 2.2 billion scf of gas into the market,” he said.

Kyari noted that the final investment decision for a $3.5bn fertiliser and petrochemical project was recently announced, with a capacity to process 300 million scf of gas.

“We have a very ambitious plan for Brass Gas Hub and that will bring about one billion scf of gas. We are looking to have fertiliser plant, petrochemical plant, and condensate refinery all in the area. And we are also looking to establish two gas hubs; one at Oben and the other at Brass,” he said.

According to the NNPC boss, the power sector is currently challenged and concerted efforts are required to resolve the liquidity challenge in the sector and expand the transmission network.

“This will enable us to sell the gas that we have already made investments to produce and enhance the economic prosperity of the country. Within the NNPC, we are looking to establish about 5,000MW of additional power into the network,” he added.

Also speaking, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria LNG Limited, Tony Attah, stressed the need for Nigeria to urgently develop and monetise its abundant gas resources.
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He said, “The opportunities and potential for Nigeria are immense. But potential means nothing unless you make it count. That is the conversation we want to have today. We are so gas-rich and energy-poor, it is incumbent to talk about this.

“We have to start to monetise our gas now. We could get to a point where gas is not as relevant as it is now if technology takes central stage to make hydrogen more available and easier to access.”

Attah said the NLNG had taken the debate further “because we have a conviction that we have more gas than oil.”

“Whether we choose to accelerate gas or not, the world is not waiting for us,” he added. (PUNCH)